Critic Reviews

XIII dazzles with a fantastic comic-book feel and topnotch FPS gameplay. The first cel-shaded FPS could easily have been a recipe for a marketing-contrived disaster. But XIII is just the opposite a truly dazzling, inspired game that mixes a riveting story with a stylish look and absorbing gameplay.

XIII is a brilliant game, full of character and imagination. The new ideas and little touches the developers have experimented with are excellent. More importantly, it’ll keep drawing you back. Moments of infuriation turn to elation when you figure out how to progress, and with triumph comes another satisfying piece of the puzzle that is the magnificently woven storyline. Steer well clear if you’re easily irritated, but for the rest of us, an undiscovered, underappreciated gem awaits.

It’s not rare to see a game based on comic book characters but it is certainly rare to see one based on an obscure French graphic novel . . . especially one that has an intricate storyline with plot twists aplenty. XIII, though, has received much attention for its visual style. While cel-shading is not a new concept for video games (see Auto Modellista for the PS2 or Jet Set Radio Future for the Xbox), it is definitely new to the first-person shooter genre. Will this unique look make this game an altogether new first-person shooter experience?

Overall this is a good game that uses a very good graphical approach to make you think there is more here than you first thought. That is not to say this is a bad game, with a poor storyline - far from it, but when you actually delve into it further this is your standard first person shooter with a beautiful outside.

Gaming can be such a contradiction. One minute you're sporting the intense expression of immersion, caught up in a thickening plot that's spinning out of control in a breathtaking web of conspiracy, built around the solid frame of creeping stealth tension and manic action, and the next you're a foul-mouthed sea of rage with veins bulging out of your temples in throbbing sympathy as you're forced to repeat the same section for the 50th time. Welcome to XIII, a game that so easily could have been game of the year.

As most gamers have probably heard by now, XIII is a cel-shaded first-person shooter based on a French comic book--excuse moi, "graphic novel"--about a military operative who's suffering from amnesia and is being chased after by both the authorities and a shadowy group of Bad People who want to do Bad Things. It feels like a bouquet of Hitman 2, No One Lives Forever, and the movie The Bourne Identity, but manages to distinguish itself, just barely. The question remains, however, if XIII can provide a compelling experience, no matter what its pedigree, and it has a tough time pulling away from familiar territory.

XIII is a nice single player experience - not a flawless one but well worth the price of admission. Multiplayer is not quite as exciting but at least there's something for both online and offline console players. There's no denying that the game's presentation overall is pretty cool and that once you get past the game's minor design and gameplay issues it can be a lot of fun.

XIII is a cel-shaded first-person shooter based on a long-running French comic book of the same name. The game definitely plays up its comic book roots, complete with readable sound effects and comic-book-like panels that pop up while you're playing. While it definitely has a certain sense of style to it, the game itself misses its mark, and the total package isn't one that will hold the interest of most first-person shooter players.

When it comes right down to it, XIII is a fine game. I have a feeling it'll disappoint many, simply because the pre-release hype became a bit too intense in the past few months. But with your expectations tempered, there's enough gameplay here to keep you entertained for at least a little while. While I wish the multiplayer offered more, as it would no doubt extend the title's replay value, it's just not exciting enough given the current number of quality online action titles on the Xbox. The single-player experience is enjoyable, if not revolutionary. And hell, maybe the graphical style really does it for you. By all means, give XIII a shot. Just don't expect the FPS of the year because, sadly, this isn't it.

It’s too bad XIII’s linear single-player game isn’t nearly as thrilling as the delivery. You basically go from mission to mission shooting bad guys in very typical first-person fashion using a standard assortment of weaponry. Pistols, a sniper rifle, assault rifle, machine gun, rocket launcher staples of the trade, but none of which pack much visceral punch. The crossbow is probably the best of the bunch because of a cool little paneled sequence that triggers when you successfully snipe a guy with it.

With online play, multiplayer play, cell shading, and FPS gameplay, XIII will catch the eye of the casual gamer. These are all aspects of gaming that are trendy and cliche currently, and to have them all in one will at least get a gamer to pick up the box and consider a purchase. But of course, Ubi Soft is hoping people will want just another same old everyday rehash of what is popular at the moment, instead of something truly mind blowing. And sadly, I think they’re right.